Of Mice and Men

I recently started Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck This is another "historical" novel like the one I previously read, but it is located in a much different place in the country and in society. The two very distinct characters are introduced from the first page. George Milton and Lennie Small are two men who are looking for work in rural California as ranch workers during the Great Depression. Lennie is a large man who has good intentions, has limited mental abilities. George and the other hand, is clever and street smart, but doesn't have much education. This post focuses on theme in Of Mice and Men.

Despite their major differences, the two main characters in the novel are friends. Although George can seem quick tempered and mean to Lennie, he eventually calms down and slowly explains the situation. This shows that one prevailing theme throughout the book is that even if people are different, they can still be friends. Although George considers dropping Lennie off at an aunt's house early in the book, he tells him to go away, and it is clear that he values his friendship. Lennie tends to forget things, makes mistakes, and uses simplistic logic, but George never abandons him. On the other hand, both men know that it will be impossible to achieve their goal of owning their own land, but keep working towards it regardless of this.

Another major theme in the book is that of loneliness. George and Lennie are unable to make any lasting relationships because of their occupation, and feel that there is nobody else who cares about them. George comments in the book on page 13, "Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world." This kind of thinking  makes George and Lennie very reserved around other people, unable to express their emotions.

Although Of Mice and Men may be an old and short novel, it still has many themes that apply today.